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Navarrete-Arroyo S, Putkinen V, Kujala T, Virtala P. Maturation of speech-elicited event-related potentials from birth to 28 months: typical development with minor effects of dyslexia risk. Biol Psychol 2025:109050. [PMID: 40398675 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2025] [Accepted: 05/12/2025] [Indexed: 05/23/2025]
Abstract
This study investigated in a longitudinal setting the maturation of obligatory auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) during infancy and early childhood, comparing the developmental patterns in infants with or without a familial risk of dyslexia. To that end, we recorded ERPs to repetitive speech sounds at birth, 6 months, and 28 months in a sample of ~200 children over-represented by children at risk for developmental dyslexia. Additionally, we assessed the impact of a music listening intervention on these ERPs. We found that infant P1 and N2 are the most robust ERPs during the first years of life. A distinct, broad infant P1 response was observable already at birth, with a infant P1-N2 pattern emerging by 6 months. Infant P1 amplitude increased from birth to 6 months, whereas its latency decreased from birth to 28 months. The infant N2 latency increased between 6 and 28 months, with no significant changes in amplitude. The control group without familial dyslexia risk exhibited smaller infant N2 amplitudes than the at-risk group at 6 months. No effects of the infant music listening intervention on the ERPs were seen. These results, with a large sample size and longitudinal setting, reflect auditory development, serving as a reference for future studies including clinical groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Navarrete-Arroyo
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Vesa Putkinen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Teija Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paula Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Pelc K, Gajewska A, Napiórkowski N, Dan J, Verhoeven C, Dan B. Longitudinal high-density cortical auditory event-related potentials and speech-sound discrimination in the first two years of life in extremely and very preterm infants without developmental disorders. Neuroimage 2025; 310:121115. [PMID: 40064316 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2025] [Accepted: 03/03/2025] [Indexed: 03/17/2025] Open
Abstract
Maturation of the auditory system in early childhood significantly influences the development of language-related perceptual and cognitive abilities. This study aims to provide insights into the neurophysiological changes underlying auditory processing and speech-sound discrimination in the first two years of life. We conducted a study using high-density electroencephalography (EEG) to longitudinally record cortical auditory event-related potentials (CAEP) in response to synthesized syllable sounds with pitch/duration change in a cohort of 79 extremely and very preterm-born infants without developmental disorders. EEG were recorded at 6 timepoints from term to 24 months corrected age, using a pseudorandom oddball paradigm. We found that the infant-P1 component of CAEP showed decreasing latency with age and more focalized cortical source stabilizing in the left primary auditory cortex by 6 months. By 6 months, a negative infant-N1 component emerged, its amplitude increasing with age and source localization showing increasing distribution over the left temporal, parietal and frontal lobes. Mismatch responses demonstrated significant differences in auditory discrimination capabilities starting from 6 months, indicating the infants' ability to detect phonetic differences. There was no correlation between infant-P1 latency, infant-P1 amplitude or mismatch response at term age and gestational age. This study suggests that cortical sound detection occurs very early and is not significantly influenced by the extent of prematurity but rather by corrected age. Early sound detection is followed by cortical sound content processing from about 6 months, with gradual organization along the cortical auditory dorsal stream and mirror neuron system in the first two years of life. Auditory discrimination of speech sounds also significantly changes from around 6 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Pelc
- Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Facuty of Motor Sciences, Brussels, Belgium; Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital, Vlezenbeek, Belgium.
| | | | | | - Jonathan Dan
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Embedded Systems Laboratory, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Verhoeven
- Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Facuty of Motor Sciences, Brussels, Belgium; Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Faculty of Medicine, Department of Mathematics Education, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Dan
- Inkendaal Rehabilitation Hospital, Vlezenbeek, Belgium; Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Faculty of Psychology, Educational Sciences and Speech and Language Therapy, Brussels, Belgium
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Kujala T, Putkinen V, Virtala P. Early maturation of neural auditory novelty detection - Typical development with no major effects of dyslexia risk or music intervention. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 167:131-142. [PMID: 39321570 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the early development of novelty detection and the effect of familial dyslexia risk and infant music intervention on this development. METHODS In the longitudinal DyslexiaBaby study, we investigated the maturation of novelty-P3 and late-discriminative negativity (LDN) event-related potentials to novel sounds at birth (N = 177) and at the ages of 6 (N = 83) and 28 months (N = 131). RESULTS Novelty-P3 was elicited at all ages, whereas LDN was elicited at 6 and 28 months. Novelty-P3 amplitude was largest at 6 months, and its latency decreased with age. LDN amplitude decreased and latency increased between 6 to 28 months. Dyslexia risk or intervention had no effects, apart from a longer LDN latency in the high-risk than no-risk group. CONCLUSIONS Already neonates respond to novel environmental sounds, indicating prerequisites for detecting potentially relevant events at birth. Maturation influences neural novelty detection. SIGNIFICANCE Novelty detection is crucial for perceiving important events, but its early development has been scarcely studied. We found, with a large sample, that neonates detect novel events, and showed the developmental pattern of its neural signature. The results serve as a reference for studies on typical and atypical novelty-detection development in infancy when behavioral testing is challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit & Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - V Putkinen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit & Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - P Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit & Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Hou X, Zhang P, Mo L, Peng C, Zhang D. Sensitivity to vocal emotions emerges in newborns at 37 weeks gestational age. eLife 2024; 13:RP95393. [PMID: 39302291 DOI: 10.7554/elife.95393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotional responsiveness in neonates, particularly their ability to discern vocal emotions, plays an evolutionarily adaptive role in human communication and adaptive behaviors. The developmental trajectory of emotional sensitivity in neonates is crucial for understanding the foundations of early social-emotional functioning. However, the precise onset of this sensitivity and its relationship with gestational age (GA) remain subjects of investigation. In a study involving 120 healthy neonates categorized into six groups based on their GA (ranging from 35 and 40 weeks), we explored their emotional responses to vocal stimuli. These stimuli encompassed disyllables with happy and neutral prosodies, alongside acoustically matched nonvocal control sounds. The assessments occurred during natural sleep states using the odd-ball paradigm and event-related potentials. The results reveal a distinct developmental change at 37 weeks GA, marking the point at which neonates exhibit heightened perceptual acuity for emotional vocal expressions. This newfound ability is substantiated by the presence of the mismatch response, akin to an initial form of adult mismatch negativity, elicited in response to positive emotional vocal prosody. Notably, this perceptual shift's specificity becomes evident when no such discrimination is observed in acoustically matched control sounds. Neonates born before 37 weeks GA do not display this level of discrimination ability. This developmental change has important implications for our understanding of early social-emotional development, highlighting the role of gestational age in shaping early perceptual abilities. Moreover, while these findings introduce the potential for a valuable screening tool for conditions like autism, characterized by atypical social-emotional functions, it is important to note that the current data are not yet robust enough to fully support this application. This study makes a substantial contribution to the broader field of developmental neuroscience and holds promise for future research on early intervention in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlin Hou
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Miyun Country Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Licheng Mo
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dandan Zhang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, China
- China Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
- School of Psychology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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Navarrete-Arroyo S, Virtala P, Laasonen M, Kujala T. Infant neural speech encoding is associated with pre-reading skill development. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 164:100-110. [PMID: 38852433 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We longitudinally investigated whether infant P1 and N2 ERPs recorded in newborns and at 28 months could predict pre-reading skills at 28 months and 4-5 years. METHODS We recorded ERPs to a pseudoword in newborns and at 28 months in a sample over-represented by infants with familial dyslexia risk. Using multiple linear regression models, we examined P1 and N2 associations with pre-reading skills at 28 months and 4-5 years. RESULTS Shorter latencies of the newborn P1 predicted faster serial naming at 28 months. Larger amplitudes and shorter latencies of P1 at 28 months predicted better serial naming abilities and auditory working memory across the pre-reading stage. Right-lateralized P1 and N2 were related to poorer pre-reading skills. CONCLUSIONS Infant ERPs, particularly P1, providing information about neural speech encoding abilities, are associated with pre-reading skill development. SIGNIFICANCE Infant and early childhood neural speech encoding abilities may work as early predictive markers of reading development and impairment. This study may help to plan early interventions targeting phonological processing to prevent or ameliorate learning deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Navarrete-Arroyo
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Paula Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marja Laasonen
- Department of Logopedics, School of Humanities, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Teija Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Navarrete-Arroyo S, Virtala P, Nie P, Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist L, Salonen S, Kujala T. Infant mismatch responses to speech-sound changes predict language development in preschoolers at risk for dyslexia. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 162:248-261. [PMID: 38492973 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated how infant mismatch responses (MMRs), which have the potential for providing information on auditory discrimination abilities, could predict subsequent development of pre-reading skills and the risk for familial dyslexia. METHODS We recorded MMRs to vowel, duration, and frequency deviants in pseudo-words at birth and 28 months in a sample over-represented by infants with dyslexia risk. We examined MMRs' associations with pre-reading skills at 28 months and 4-5 years and compared the results in subgroups with vs. without dyslexia risk. RESULTS Larger positive MMR (P-MMR) at birth was found to be associated with better serial naming. In addition, increased mismatch negativity (MMN) and late discriminative negativity (LDN), and decreased P-MMR at 28 months overall, were shown to be related to better pre-reading skills. The associations were influenced by dyslexia risk, which was also linked to poor pre-reading skills. CONCLUSIONS Infant MMRs, providing information about the maturity of the auditory system, are associated with the development of pre-reading skills. Speech-processing deficits may contribute to deficits in language acquisition observed in dyslexia. SIGNIFICANCE Infant MMRs could work as predictive markers of atypical linguistic development during early childhood. Results may help in planning preventive and rehabilitation interventions in children at risk of learning impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Navarrete-Arroyo
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Paula Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Peixin Nie
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Linda Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Salonen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Teija Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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7
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Alho K, Escera C, Kujala T, Schröger E, Tervaniemi M, Winkler I, Yabe H. Risto Näätänen (1939-2023). Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14504. [PMID: 38108528 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimmo Alho
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Carles Escera
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IRSJD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teija Kujala
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Erich Schröger
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Education, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - István Winkler
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Mind & Brain Medicine, Fukushima Medical University (FMU), Fukushima, Japan
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Bouwer FL, Háden GP, Honing H. Probing Beat Perception with Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) in Human Adults, Newborns, and Nonhuman Primates. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1455:227-256. [PMID: 38918355 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-60183-5_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of how the perception of rhythmic temporal regularity such as a regular beat in music can be studied in human adults, human newborns, and nonhuman primates using event-related brain potentials (ERPs). First, we discuss different aspects of temporal structure in general, and musical rhythm in particular, and we discuss the possible mechanisms underlying the perception of regularity (e.g., a beat) in rhythm. Additionally, we highlight the importance of dissociating beat perception from the perception of other types of structure in rhythm, such as predictable sequences of temporal intervals, ordinal structure, and rhythmic grouping. In the second section of the chapter, we start with a discussion of auditory ERPs elicited by infrequent and frequent sounds: ERP responses to regularity violations, such as mismatch negativity (MMN), N2b, and P3, as well as early sensory responses to sounds, such as P1 and N1, have been shown to be instrumental in probing beat perception. Subsequently, we discuss how beat perception can be probed by comparing ERP responses to sounds in regular and irregular sequences, and by comparing ERP responses to sounds in different metrical positions in a rhythm, such as on and off the beat or on strong and weak beats. Finally, we will discuss previous research that has used the aforementioned ERPs and paradigms to study beat perception in human adults, human newborns, and nonhuman primates. In doing so, we consider the possible pitfalls and prospects of the technique, as well as future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur L Bouwer
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Gábor P Háden
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Telecommunications and Media Informatics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Henkjan Honing
- Music Cognition group (MCG), Institute for Logic, Language and Computation (ILLC), Amsterdam Brain and Cognition (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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9
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Themas L, Lippus P, Padrik M, Kask L, Kreegipuu K. Maturation of the mismatch response in pre-school children: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105366. [PMID: 37633625 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically the Mismatch Response (MMR), holds promise for investigating auditory maturation in children. It has the potential to predict language development and distinguish between language-impaired and typically developing groups. However, summarizing the MMR's developmental trajectory in typically developing children remains challenging despite numerous studies. This pioneering meta-analysis outlines changes in MMR amplitude among typically developing children, while offering methodological best-practices. Our search identified 51 articles for methodology analysis and 21 for meta-analysis, involving 0-8-year-old participants from 2000 to 2022. Risk of Bias assessment and methodology analysis revealed shortcomings in control condition usage and reporting of study confounders. The meta-analysis results were inconsistent, indicating large effect sizes in some conditions and no effect sizes in others. Subgroup analysis revealed the main effects of age and brain region, as well as an interaction of age and time-window of the MMR. Future research requires a specific protocol, larger samples, and replication studies to deepen the understanding of the auditory discrimination maturation process in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liis Themas
- University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia; University of Tartu, Institute of Psychology, Näituse 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Pärtel Lippus
- University of Tartu, Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marika Padrik
- University of Tartu, Institute of Education, Jakobi 5, 51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liis Kask
- University of Tartu, Institute of Psychology, Näituse 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kairi Kreegipuu
- University of Tartu, Institute of Psychology, Näituse 2, 50409 Tartu, Estonia.
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10
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Paula V, Vesa P, Anastasia G, Anja T, Laurel J T, Teija K. Beneficial effects of a music listening intervention on neural speech processing in 0-28-month-old children at risk for dyslexia. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13426. [PMID: 37350469 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Familial risk for developmental dyslexia can compromise auditory and speech processing and subsequent language and literacy development. According to the phonological deficit theory, supporting phonological development during the sensitive infancy period could prevent or ameliorate future dyslexic symptoms. Music is an established method for supporting auditory and speech processing and even language and literacy, but no previous studies have investigated its benefits for infants at risk for developmental language and reading disorders. We pseudo-randomized N∼150 infants at risk for dyslexia to vocal or instrumental music listening interventions at 0-6 months, or to a no-intervention control group. Music listening was used as an easy-to-administer, cost-effective intervention in early infancy. Mismatch responses (MMRs) elicited by speech-sound changes were recorded with electroencephalogram (EEG) before (at birth) and after (at 6 months) the intervention and at a 28 months follow-up. We expected particularly the vocal intervention to promote phonological development, evidenced by enhanced speech-sound MMRs and their fast maturation. We found enhanced positive MMR amplitudes in the vocal music listening intervention group after but not prior to the intervention. Other music activities reported by parents did not differ between the three groups, indicating that the group effects were attributable to the intervention. The results speak for the use of vocal music in early infancy to support speech processing and subsequent language development in infants at developmental risk. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Dyslexia-risk infants were pseudo-randomly assigned to a vocal or instrumental music listening intervention at home from birth to 6 months of age. Neural mismatch responses (MMRs) to speech-sound changes were enhanced in the vocal music intervention group after but not prior to the intervention. Even passive vocal music listening in early infancy can support phonological development known to be deficient in dyslexia-risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virtala Paula
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Putkinen Vesa
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Gallen Anastasia
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Thiede Anja
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Trainor Laurel J
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kujala Teija
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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11
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Kujala T, Partanen E, Virtala P, Winkler I. Prerequisites of language acquisition in the newborn brain. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:726-737. [PMID: 37344237 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Learning to decode and produce speech is one of the most demanding tasks faced by infants. Nevertheless, infants typically utter their first words within a year, and phrases soon follow. Here we review cognitive abilities of newborn infants that promote language acquisition, focusing primarily on studies tapping neural activity. The results of these studies indicate that infants possess core adult auditory abilities already at birth, including statistical learning and rule extraction from variable speech input. Thus, the neonatal brain is ready to categorize sounds, detect word boundaries, learn words, and separate speech streams: in short, to acquire language quickly and efficiently from everyday linguistic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teija Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Eino Partanen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Paula Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - István Winkler
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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12
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Ní Choisdealbha Á, Attaheri A, Rocha S, Mead N, Olawole-Scott H, Brusini P, Gibbon S, Boutris P, Grey C, Hines D, Williams I, Flanagan SA, Goswami U. Neural phase angle from two months when tracking speech and non-speech rhythm linked to language performance from 12 to 24 months. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2023; 243:105301. [PMID: 37399686 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2023.105301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Atypical phase alignment of low-frequency neural oscillations to speech rhythm has been implicated in phonological deficits in developmental dyslexia. Atypical phase alignment to rhythm could thus also characterize infants at risk for later language difficulties. Here, we investigate phase-language mechanisms in a neurotypical infant sample. 122 two-, six- and nine-month-old infants were played speech and non-speech rhythms while EEG was recorded in a longitudinal design. The phase of infants' neural oscillations aligned consistently to the stimuli, with group-level convergence towards a common phase. Individual low-frequency phase alignment related to subsequent measures of language acquisition up to 24 months of age. Accordingly, individual differences in language acquisition are related to the phase alignment of cortical tracking of auditory and audiovisual rhythms in infancy, an automatic neural mechanism. Automatic rhythmic phase-language mechanisms could eventually serve as biomarkers, identifying at-risk infants and enabling intervention at the earliest stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Attaheri
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sinead Rocha
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Mead
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Olawole-Scott
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Perrine Brusini
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Gibbon
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Panagiotis Boutris
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Grey
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Declan Hines
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel Williams
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sheila A Flanagan
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Usha Goswami
- Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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13
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Virtala P, Kujala T, Partanen E, Hämäläinen JA, Winkler I. Neural phoneme discrimination in variable speech in newborns - Associations with dyslexia risk and later language skills. Brain Cogn 2023; 168:105974. [PMID: 37037170 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2023.105974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
A crucial skill in infant language acquisition is learning of the native language phonemes. This requires the ability to group complex sounds into distinct auditory categories based on their shared features. Problems in phonetic learning have been suggested to underlie language learning difficulties in dyslexia, a developmental reading-skill deficit. We investigated auditory abilities important for language acquisition in newborns with or without a familial risk for dyslexia with electrophysiological mismatch responses (MMRs). We presented vowel changes in a sequence of acoustically varying vowels, requiring grouping of the stimuli to two phoneme categories. The vowel changes elicited an MMR which was significantly diminished in infants whose parents had the most severe dyslexia in our sample. Phoneme-MMR amplitude and its hemispheric lateralization were associated with language test outcomes assessed at 28 months, an age at which it becomes possible to behaviourally test children and several standardized tests are available. In addition, statistically significant MMRs to violations of a complex sound-order rule were only found in infants without dyslexia risk, but these results are very preliminary due to small sample size. The results demonstrate the relevance of the newborn infants' readiness for phonetic learning for their emerging language skills. Phoneme extraction difficulties in infants at familial risk may contribute to the phonological deficits observed in dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Virtala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Kujala
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - E Partanen
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - J A Hämäläinen
- Jyväskylä Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - I Winkler
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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14
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Uhler K, Tollin DJ, Gilley PM. EEG Alpha Band Responses Reveal Amplification Benefits in Infants with Hearing Loss. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:600. [PMID: 36980158 PMCID: PMC10047398 DOI: 10.3390/children10030600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Our objective was to examine the effects of hearing aid amplification on auditory detection and discrimination in infants who were hard of hearing (IHH) using a physiological measure of auditory perception. We recorded EEG from 41 sleeping IHH aged 1.04 to 5.62 months while presenting auditory stimuli in a mismatch response paradigm. Responses were recorded during two listening conditions for each participant: aided and unaided. Temporal envelopes of the mismatch response in the EEG alpha band (6-12 Hz) were extracted from the latent, time-frequency transformed data. Aided alpha band responses were greater than unaided responses for the deviant trials but were not different for the standard trials. Responses to the deviant trials were greater than responses to the standard trials for the aided conditions but were not different for the unaided conditions. These results suggest that the alpha band mismatch can be used to examine both detection and discrimination of speech and non-speech sounds in IHH. With further study, the alpha band mismatch could expand and refine our abilities to validate hearing aid fittings at younger ages than current clinical protocols allow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Uhler
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine & Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Daniel J. Tollin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Phillip M. Gilley
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine & Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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15
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Discriminatory Brain Processes of Native and Foreign Language in Children with and without Reading Difficulties. Brain Sci 2022; 13:brainsci13010076. [PMID: 36672057 PMCID: PMC9856413 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between impaired speech perception and reading difficulty has been well established in native language processing, as can be observed from brain activity. However, there has been scarce investigation of whether this association extends to brain activity during foreign language processing. The relationship between reading skills and neuronal speech representation of foreign language remains unclear. In the present study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) with high-density EEG to investigate this question. Eleven- to 13-year-old children typically developed (CTR) or with reading difficulties (RD) were tested via a passive auditory oddball paradigm containing native (Finnish) and foreign (English) speech items. The change-detection-related ERP responses, the mismatch response (MMR), and the late discriminative negativity (LDN) were studied. The cluster-based permutation tests within and between groups were performed. The results showed an apparent language effect. In the CTR group, we found an atypical MMR in the foreign language processing and a larger LDN response for speech items containing a diphthong in both languages. In the RD group, we found unstable MMR with lower amplitude and a nonsignificant LDN response. A deficit in the LDN response in both languages was found within the RD group analysis. Moreover, we observed larger brain responses in the RD group and a hemispheric polarity reversal compared to the CTR group responses. Our results provide new evidence that language processing differed between the CTR and RD groups in early and late discriminatory responses and that language processing is linked to reading skills in both native and foreign language contexts.
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Hervé E, Mento G, Desnous B, François C. Challenges and new perspectives of developmental cognitive EEG studies. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119508. [PMID: 35882267 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite shared procedures with adults, electroencephalography (EEG) in early development presents many specificities that need to be considered for good quality data collection. In this paper, we provide an overview of the most representative early cognitive developmental EEG studies focusing on the specificities of this neuroimaging technique in young participants, such as attrition and artifacts. We also summarize the most representative results in developmental EEG research obtained in the time and time-frequency domains and use more advanced signal processing methods. Finally, we briefly introduce three recent standardized pipelines that will help promote replicability and comparability across experiments and ages. While this paper does not claim to be exhaustive, it aims to give a sufficiently large overview of the challenges and solutions available to conduct robust cognitive developmental EEG studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Hervé
- CNRS, LPL, Aix-Marseille University, 5 Avenue Pasteur, Aix-en-Provence 13100, France
| | - Giovanni Mento
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy; Padua Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Béatrice Desnous
- APHM, Reference Center for Rare Epilepsies, Timone Children Hospital, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13005, France; Inserm, INS, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille 13005, France
| | - Clément François
- CNRS, LPL, Aix-Marseille University, 5 Avenue Pasteur, Aix-en-Provence 13100, France.
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